NEWS ROUNDUP: FBI Zeros In On Last Oregon Occupiers…AND MORE

The remaining occupiers will face arrest and conspiracy charges when they surrender.

The FBI has zeroed in on the handful of occupiers left at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. On Wednesday evening, law enforcement officials arrived at the camp in armored vehicles and insisted the last four occupiers abandon their weapons and surrender. After hours of turning down demands, one of the men said they would surrender at a checkpoint if a prominent religious leader and a Nevada state legislator were present. The surrender was slated to take place at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, but there’s no word on whether only one of the occupiers or the entire group turned themselves in. “It has never been the FBI’s desire to engage these armed occupiers in any way other than through dialogue, and to that end, the FBI has negotiated with patience and restraint in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully,” said FBI special agent, Greg Bretzing. “We reached a point where it became necessary to take action in a way that best ensured the safety of those on the refuge, the law enforcement officers who are on scene, and the people of Harney County who live and work in this area.” The remaining occupiers will face arrest and conspiracy charges when they surrender. Read more.

North Long Beach to Name Library After FLOTUS

Although her time in the White House is dwindling down, Michelle Obama’s legacy will live on through a library in North Long Beach, California. On Tuesday, Long Beach’s City Council unanimously voted in favor of naming the library after the First Lady. The plan was proposed by Councilman Rex Richardson back in December. “This has been an exercise in democracy and the civic process that won’t be soon forgotten,” said Richardson. The library would be the first in the city to be named after a person of color. Richardson believes it will illustrate the city’s “forward-thinking” nature and inspire the youth to strive for powerful positions where they can incite change. Other proposed names for the library included Martin Luther King, Coretta Scott King, Indira Hale-Tucker, and Doris Topsy-Elvord. The library is slated to open this summer. Read more.

Study: Black Students Underrepresented Among High-Paying Degrees

A new study shows that African-American college students are underrepresented in regards to higher paying degrees. The report, created by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, shows that Black students are more likely to pursue degrees that receive lower paying jobs upon graduating from college. Despite the fact that African-Americans make up 12 percent of our country’s population, only 8 percent are taking up high-earning majors, while 17 percent are studying low-paying majors. Anthony Carnevale, author of the report, said sometimes, even studying a high-earning major doesn’t change the trajectory of your career path if you’re a person of color. “If you’re an African-American who majors in math, you’re more likely to become a school teacher. If you’re a white male who majors in math, you’re more likely to go on to grad school in business, or to seek out higher education opportunities,” he said. Carnevale also said it’s essential for counselors to aid young Black students in finding a major aligned with their interests and skills. Read more.

Taraji P. Henson to Star in Film About NASA’s Black Women Mathematicians During the Civil Rights Era

Taraji P. Henson will star in a film based on the book “Hidden Figures;” which delves into the stories of African-American women mathematicians who worked for NASA during the Civil Rights Movement. These women were called “colored computers.” The book was written by Margot Lee Shetterly, whose father was one of the first African-American engineers at NASA. “Most Americans have no idea that from the 1940s through the 1960s, a cadre of African-American women formed part of the country’s space work force, or that this group—mathematical ground troops in the Cold War—helped provide NASA with the raw computing power it needed to dominate the heavens,” said Shetterly. “Hidden Figures recovers the history of these pioneering women and situates it in the intersection of the defining movements of the American century: the Cold War, the Space Race, the Civil Rights movement and the quest for gender equality.” Although the book hasn’t been published yet, FOX is looking to release the film in January of 2017. Other names tied to the project include Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Oprah Winfrey. Read more.